My two year commitment to Sarah’s Covenant Homes is technically over this month, but I’ll be finishing up my job in March. With this season coming to a close, I wanted to look and back, and reflect on my time.
The enemy’s been fighting hard, throwing a lot of lies my way. The main one being that I didn’t accomplish enough in my time with SCH. That I could’ve done better. That I could’ve done more.
But then, as I re-read an old blog post (the part in blue), God reminded me of something.
When I went back to SCH to teach Jodi how to walk, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I had no training physical therapy and no idea how to teach a child with severe cognitive delays to walk. All I had was a deep desire to change this Jodi’s future.
One day, in my frustration, I decided to ditch the daily exercises. Instead we went out into the courtyard, I held of her hands, and we walked around. She was doing alright, so I stepped in front of her, and began to walk backwards to see how many steps she could take on her own before she would fall into me. I was pleasantly surprised- I think she took at least 12 steps before face planting into my arms.
From that day on, we mainly did just that. I would point her in the direction of one of the caregivers or other volunteers, and she would attempt to walk towards them. When she fell, someone would pick her back up and point her back in my direction. Stand her up, point her in a direction, watch her fall, pick her back up. Over and over again we did this. 12 steps became 20, 20 became 30. Towards the end of my trip, she could walk across most of the courtyard on her own. But when she fell, she fell hard. She hadn’t quite yet learned to put her arms out to protect herself. Most of the time, her falls didn’t phase her. She only would cry if she bumped her head. But I was always there to scoop her up and comfort her.
As happy as I was at J’s progress, I was still frustrated. She still wasn’t choosing to walk on her own. That didn’t happen until one of my last days. I was talking to someone, and suddenly I turned around to see J crossing the courtyard. I asked everyone who had help her– no one had. J had been standing at a table and chose to walk all by herself. I was happy to see that before I left, but I wondered what would happen in my absence. Would anyone spend time with her? Would her walking continue to improve after I left?
It did. People like Kady, Anna, & Parvathi would walk with her. Choosing to walk became more normal for J. She even began to pull herself up (using any she could grab) to go places.
And then Megan came, and Jodi learned to stand up all on her own, with out any support. And then, the impossible happened. J’s PT taught her to walk up the stairs.
I was launching point for J, but God used others to bring to where she is today. I will always know that my role in J’s life had value, because I got her to take steps, but God used others to help her stand and run.
God, I am trusting you with SCH. That when I leave, others will take it even farther than I ever could. I am trusting that you are using J’s story to give me a promise about SCH. And that just like with J, I played important role in SCH’s story. And while I didn’t see a ton of fruit in the moment, it’ll happen. I started something, and while I won’t be the one getting to be a part of the greatest growth moments, I still helped make those happen.
**** Update: September 22nd
